As NECA celebrates our 125th anniversary in 2026, we do so with a deep appreciation for the generations of electrical contractors who built this association—and helped build America itself. Founded in 1901, the National Electrical Contractors Association was created at a time when electricity was still transforming from a novelty into a necessity. Our founders saw the future before most others did, and they recognized the need for a unified organization dedicated to advancing the electrical construction industry through labor relations, innovation, professionalism, safety and advocacy.

Over the last 125 years, our industry has experienced extraordinary change. NECA contractors have helped electrify cities and towns, powered factories and hospitals, connected schools and homes and built the infrastructure that drives the American economy. We adapted through world wars, economic booms and downturns, technological revolutions and the emergence of entirely new sectors—from telecommunications and renewable energy to data centers, advanced manufacturing and intelligent buildings.

What has remained constant throughout every era is the resilience and ingenuity of the electrical contractor. Our members have never simply followed change—they have led it.

This October in Las Vegas, thousands of industry leaders, contractors, partners and apprentices will gather at the NECA Convention & Trade Show to celebrate this milestone together. It will be an opportunity to honor our history and to recognize the people and partnerships that continue to move our industry forward every day.

While 125 years is a remarkable achievement, I believe the future ahead is even more exciting. Over the next decades, electrical contractors will stand at the center of America’s next great transformation—modernizing the grid, powering artificial intelligence and data infrastructure, expanding domestic manufacturing, strengthening energy resilience and building the critical infrastructure of tomorrow.

The future is electric—and NECA contractors are building it.

David Long
NECA CEO